The Yellow Hoods Tour

The Yellow Hoods Series: As the Yellow Hoods series starts, we see a pastoral world on the brink of a great change. Steam-based and other technologies are emerging, hence the genre “Emergent Steam Punk”. But this is written in the tradition of hard science fiction– you will find no gratuitous gears here. In the series, Adam Dreece masterfully weaves together familiar elements from fairy tales with realistic characters, bringing them to life. Here we meet the Nikolas Klaus: a kind of fusion of Santa Claus and Nikola Tesla and his granddaughter, young Tee who evokes Little Red Riding Hood but with the force of personality of a Katniss (Hunger Games) or Buffy (aka the Vampire Slayer). You may laugh and you may cry, but I guarantee you will enjoy the ride.

Title: Along Came a Wolf (Bk 1)
Series: The Yellow Hoods
Author: Adam Dreece
Publication Date: April 14, 2014

Someone is on the hunt for the steam engine plans, and believes that master inventor, Nikolas Klaus, has them. Thought dead by most, and forgotten by many, the quiet grandfather has been living for years in the sleepy mountain town of Minette, keeping his inventions mostly to himself and watching his granddaughter grow up.

Twelve-year-old Tee, and her two best friends, Elly and Richy, come together as the heroic Yellow Hoods in the face of life threatening danger. Whose side are the Cochon brothers on, and will they tip the balance? Will Nikolas’ ties to one of the secret societies cost him Tee’s life?  

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Title: Breadcrumb Trail (Bk 2)

Series: The Yellow Hoods
Author: Adam Dreece
Publication Date: August 18, 2014

In an act of desperation, inventor Maxwell Watt sends his teenage son to Nikolas Klaus with the secret plans for his steam engine. The Fare, a nefarious secret society, learns of the game-changing invention and accelerate their timeline to neutralize Klaus and reclaim control over the kingdoms. While wars spark to the south, children in Mineau have started to go missing–again.

Captain Archambault suspects the return of the Ginger Lady. With the help of the Yellow Hoods and their friends, the search is on to find the missing children before it is too late. What is the secret that ties the Yellow Hoods to the Ginger Lady? Who are the Red Hoods really?  

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Title: All the King’s Men (Bk 3)
Series: The Yellow Hoods
Author: Adam Dreece
Publication Date: To be Released on April 15th!!

More than a hundred years ago, a king declared that all geniuses, scientists and inventors were abominations, save for those willing to become his Conventioneers. His edict spread like wildfire through the kingdoms, and drove the hunted into the arms of the secret societies, the Tub and the Fare.

Decades later, having taken control of the remains of the crushed Fare, a young Marcus Pieman follows up on rumors of a homeless, teenage Abominator in his city. When the scared Nikolas Klaus looked up at Marcus for the first time, a tremendous bond was forged. A betrayal leads Tee to a showdown with her greatest foe. Who breaks and who lays bleeding in the middle of nowhere? And Mounira learns the truth about the once great inventor, Christophe Creangle.

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YOU CAN FIND & PURCHASE ALL BOOKS IN THE SERIES HERE:

Goodreads | Amazon | The Yellow Hoods Store | Author Website

(For Each Individual Book) Book 1 - Along Came A Wolf: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon.ca | B&N Book 2 - Breadcrumb Trail: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon.ca | B&N Book 3 - All The King's Men: Goodreads | Amazon (preorder)

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Author Bio:

Adam Dreece burst onto the young adult fiction scene in 2014. His debut novel, Along Came a Wolf, hit the shelves in April, launching what is now the bestselling series The Yellow Hoods. Book Two, Breadcrumb Trail, quickly followed in September, locking in Dreece's status as a force to be reckoned with. Now Book Three, All the King’s-Men, is about to be released and is expected to take its place on the Amazon and Calgary Herald Best Seller Lists, alongside its predecessors.

For twenty-five years Adam had written stories and set them aside, including a memoir covering his battle with terrible scar pain and then being hit with severe asthma. He’d always given the priority and focus to his technical career. In January 2015, he became a full time author. Adam’s a devoted husband and father of three great kids. Though driven, he ensures there is always time for his family, fans, and fellow authors.

With his tween daughter as his muse and the first to hear the rough drafts, it’s no surprise that he’s a huge proponent of strong female characters, something very clear in The Yellow Hoods.  

Author Links:

Twitter | Website | Facebook

  GIVEAWAY
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This tour was organized by Good Tales Book Tours.

Yellow Hoods Tour Author's Corner: 5 Things that Didn’t Happen in Book 1 – Along Came a Wolf

Lauren here: Not only was this first book fantastic (I'm hoping to read the other two sometime very soon) but Adam Dreece is a fantastic person. I have another post explaining him and his books so you should defiantly check that out. Seriously you should check out his books. They are full of great characters and fantastic adventures. Here are his 5 Things that Didn't Happen in Book 1. So without further ado let me hand it over to Mr. Dreece. 

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When I started writing Along Came a Wolf, I had a couple ideas that never happened. Note, this does contain some minor spoilers for those who haven't read book 1. Here they are:

1. It all took place in Europe

    I battled back and forth as to whether or not this story was really taking place in Europe, specifically if Minette was going to be in the Britany providence of France.

    Deciding to make it a steampunk story complicated matters, because I didn’t want the Victorian elements to make this story Yet Another Victorian Steampunk Story will all the same social idioms, etc. I wanted to have something that was familiar, and yet the history was different than ours. An alternate history world. So, after the half way point, I decided not to make it Europe and to let my imagination go where it did.

2. The Cochon Brothers were to be the bad guys, and LeLoup to be a good guy

     The idea for the Cochon brothers were to have the trio be reoccurring villains, and to have LeLoup just a simple character for the one story, however we all know that that changed. What made that happen? The “Went to Market” chapter wrote itself, and so I went back revised the first confrontation scene and allowed it to just go wherever it wanted to go, and thus LeLoup took the role that he did, and the brothers the role they were met for.

3. Elly was black at first

     However the more that I got to know her, and the more that I thought about Eorthe (the name of the world), the more questions I had about culture and what not. It felt like I was missing a real opportunity. In addition, the more that I got to know Tee and Elly’s relationship, Elly revealed that there was something different about her, but it wasn’t the colour of her skin (I’ll leave this to the reader to figure out). My thinking continued and the idea formed for a Moroccan/Spanish type of 

country, which is where Mounira came from. By the end of book 3, a character stepped forward for book 4 who was black, and told me where it was from and the culture of his lands, etc. I’m very excited to bring Wilbur to the fold.

4. William and Jennifer had a battle scene 

     When Nikolas comes over to Jennifer & William’s house for dinner, about the middle of the book, they were cleaning up from a battle. It was to reveal that William’s “bad feeling” had indeed been about something. However, the hints that I had in the scene that this had happened felt weird, and Nikolas wouldn’t have ignored them. Instead, I allowed for everything to be cleaned up, but didn’t put the scene in. I plan on revealing what that was about at some point, likely in a Companion Tale. William and Jennifer didn’t just disappear, as some people have commented, I just wasn’t strong enough at the time (in my opinion) to be able to give them their screen time without making the story feel like a “battle family.”

5. It WAS a short story

    briefly. I stopped writing after LeLoup was beaten (around the middle of the book), thinking the story was over. It was a nice little story, and I’d done what my daughter had asked me to do which was write ‘the Hoods story.’ The next day, as I read through it, something was missing. It felt wrong. I revised things, and they were coming alive and then I arrived the next night at the scene where LeLoup was beaten, I saw him talking to himself. The crazy scene wrote itself and I sat back amazed at it. I really felt like I was there, documenting more than writing what was going on. I was hooked. I needed to write more!

Guild of Immortal Women Blog Tour with Author Top Ten

DAVE'S TOP 10 COMFORT FOODS

10. Vanilla chip vanilla ice cream with maraschino cherries

9. A tub of salt with a little popcorn

8. Black licorice

7. Swedish fish

6. red grapes

5.  green apples with hummus

4.  red apples with cheddar cheese

3.  Doritos

2. Mozzarella cheese sticks

1. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches

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Title: Guild of Immortal Women
Author: David Alan Morrison
Publication Date: November 2014

Two bodies are discovered on the grounds of “The Bastille,” home to a coven of witches who belong to the Guild of Immortal Women. The bodies have strange characteristics, so what follows is a combination merry and sinister romp through ancient history. Medieval times are brought to life through a massive Tapestry adorning the mansion’s walls where the characters — animals and humans — emerge through tears in the fabric. It is up to Detective Matt Mathers and social worker Lynn Swanson to solve the murder-mystery while dealing with the strange world of magic, Guardian Abbey’s amnesia from her past lives, and the devilish mission of Robert and the Doctor to create an immortal heir through the laboratory.

Foreword Reviews‘ 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award Finalist

    Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Website

 

Author Bio:

Dave Morrison (CI & CT, NIC-A, SC:L, NAD-5). Dave received his A.A. in ASL/ENG Interpreting
from L.A. Pierce College in 1989. In 2000, he obtained his M.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Kentucky. He has interpreted in a variety of venues, from the courtroom to funerals to underwater conservation forums. As an actor, he has been seen on stage, TV and film. He is currently an adjunct instructor of Drama at Skagit Valley College and works with local theatres as a director, actor and instructor.

Author Links:

Facebook| Twitter | Website

 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

This tour was organized by Good Tales Book Tours.

Cover Reveal: Polaris

ZEUS PROTOCAL 000101: REBOOT, SCAN.

DANGER DETECTED.

THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: INCREASE MILITARY PRESENCE.

There’s trouble brewing on Polaris. Under the watchful eye of the space station’s supercomputer, Zeus, the lower classes are awakening to the corruption of their wealthy, privileged, and protected leaders. When the quiet voices of protest get louder and alliances form, change dawns on the horizon. But the small acts of resistance won’t be enough to subvert the system for long. Zeus is alert to the growing threat level, and he will do whatever’s necessary—including purging the lower levels of Polaris—to preserve stability for all.

Inspired by the mythology of the constellations hung around Polaris, the seven stories in Polaris Awakening reimagine the classic characters in a futuristic world where alien creatures are commonplace, combat arenas are used for entertaining foreign dignitaries, slaves and soldiers stand side by side, and music orchestrates a revolution. And their first acts of defiance are just the beginning. Polaris will never be the same.

ZEUS PROTOCAL 000099: ENGAGE THREAT.

There are seven stories contributing to the anthology. And our authors (in order of appearance) are: Kellie Sheridan, Erin Latimer, Erica Crouch, Janna Jennings, Hannah Davies, Terra Harmony, and Meghan Jashinsky.

Doesn't that sound interesting?!?!?! Now are you ready for the cover?

Are you sure???

Ok here it is:

I absolutely love the colors and the font! What do you guys think? 

My Pick for A Non-Fiction Read

For my 2015 Reading Challenge one of the categories is Non-Fiction. The book I chose is.....




*drumroll*






Are you ready???

I'm super excited to read this book. It follows five American piolets who were tasked with flying 'The Hump' and ended up crashing in Tibet. I got this on my Nook for super cheap. Here is the Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13593035-lost-in-tibet 

In other news I finally finished Anna Karenina!!! Not only is it immensely satisfying to read a book that long but the story was fantastic! I love the way Tolstoy explored all aspects of life in Russia during that time. It's one of those books you could spend an entire semester discussing and still not cover everything. 

2015 A Year of Amazing Covers and Exciting New Releases

     The longer this year goes on the more excited I become in terms of Young Adult Fiction. I've already done a list of book I am looking forward to this year (found here) but as the year goes on that list grows longer and longer and longer and longer. There are so many good books being released this year and it makes me excited for the future of YA. I'm seeing more adults in the YA section picking up books and the YA displays in my local B&N are scattered throughout the store. But not only are there amazing books coming out but their covers are stunning. Breath taking covers are becoming a norm as the market for YA grows and this makes both me and my shelves incredibly happy. Epic Reads is almost done with their fall cover reveals and I take my hat off to all the amazing cover designers because the cover lust is real. Here are some of my favorite book covers of books being released in 2015.

I love this cover and I think it really reflects the blurb and draws me to the book. And it's just beautiful.  Dreamland comes out September 22. Soooo far away.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23245337-dreamland?from_search=true

Ok so first Rae Carson writing historical fiction with elements of fantasy...ummm YES PLEASE. This cover is beautiful. When I first saw it I looked at it for a solid ten minutes before I finally managed to close the tab. The book comes out the same day as Dreamland. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17564519-walk-on-earth-a-stranger?from_search=true

Ok so apparently this book has been out in Australia for a very long time buuuut us American's have to wait and honestly we get a much better cover. I love the colors and balance of this cover. I can't wait to see what it looks like on my shelf. Plus it's Garth Nix it has to be good. The book comes out Oct 13 one day after I turn 19 but let's not think about that. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24737347-newt-s-emerald

I never thought any cover could top A Thousand Pieces of You (the first book in the trilogy) but this cover is gorgeous. The first book is my lock screen this cover is my home screen on my phone. It comes out in November and I can't wait till it sits next to the first one on my shelf!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17234659-ten-thousand-skies-above-you?ac=1 

I will let this cover speak for itself. Comes out April 28th.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21393526-magonia

Fairy Tale retellings are becoming incredibly popular and this is a Cinderella retelling that I am super excited for. I love the steampunk theme and colors in this cover. This book comes out August 4.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455099-mechanica

Ok so I haven't read The Murder Complex but this cover for the second book (which comes out April 21) is amazing. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22836576-the-death-code

Ok so I'm not usually a fan of contemporaries buuuut this one sounds really intriguing and I love the cover sooooo much. It's simple but beautiful. This one comes out June 16.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23261524-between-the-notes?ac=1

Granted these are not all of the beautiful covers that will be gracing our shelves this year but they are just a few of my favorites. What are your favorites? What beautiful covers did I miss? What books are you excited for this year? 

Update on My 2015 Reading Challenge

     So far this year has not been a good reading year. I started off the year in a major reading slump and I am currently five books behind on my goodreads challenge. *sigh* I finished Madman's Daughter and have also finished my book for the category "Read a book with a non-human character." For this category I chose Cinder by Marissa Meyer which is a fantastic retelling of Cinderella. I'm re-reading the series because Cress finally came out in Paperback and I have it just waiting for me to read it. I am still working on Anna Karenina...I still love it but man it is so stinkn' long. Right now, in addition to Anna Karenina I am also reading Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (book 2 in the Lunar Chronicles series). I'm going to Taylor on Saturday so I'll have some time on the plane to read. I'm hoping to have some reviews up soon either on my YouTube Channel or my blog but we'll see what happens.